Headline
'Explosive' California Wildfire Claims 250 Structures: 'There's Nothing, Just Ashes'
United States

Steve Keeling walks through the ashes of his fire ravaged home, Monday, June 27, 2016, in South Lake. California. Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP
Residents of more than half a dozen communities in Kern County are being allowed to return to their homes after evacuating ahead of the Erskine Fire, though some areas still do not have power or water.
The fire consumed at least 250 structures, including Sallie Keeling's South Lake home where she and her husband had lived for 13 years.
"There's nothing," she said, covered in soot after digging through the rubble. "Just ashes."
More homes are expected to burn as the blaze that has left two dead continues to devour areas of rural communities in the southern Sierra Nevada. Houses could be vulnerable if winds blow the fire back toward some of the communities in the popular recreation area, Fire Chief Brian Marshall said
Related Content
Science Source
| Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
EEE 2014: Extreme Fire Season in California: A Glimpse Into the Future?
Jin-Ho Yoon, S.-Y. Simon Wang, Robert R. Gillies et al
Headline

Jun 30, 2016 | ClimateWire
Severe Wildfires Rekindle Controversial Call for Deliberate Burns
Headline

Jun 30, 2016 | Bakersfield Now
Erskine Fire latest: Size remains unchanged, 'no significant fire activity last night'
Headline

Jun 30, 2016 | The Guardian
Wildfires engulfing the west coast are fueled by climate change, experts warn